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(Διονυσόδωρος). [English version] [1] Taxiarch des Theramenes um 400 v. Chr. Taxiarch des Theramenes, wurde von Agoratos an die Dreißig verraten (Lys. or. 13,30; 39-42). Diesen verklagte 399/98 v.Chr. der Bruder und Schwager des D., Dionysios, der Sprecher der 13. Rede des Lysias. Strothmann, Meret (Bochum) [English version] [2] Thebaner und olympischer Sieger, Gesandter und Teilnehmer an Schlacht von Issos Thebaner und olympischer Sieger. Als Gesandter zu Dareios [3] geschickt und mit anderen griech. Gesandten nach der Schlacht von Issos von Parmenion i…

(κύβου διπλασιασμός/ kýbu diplasiasmós nach Eratosthenes, in [1. 88,16]). [English version] I. Allgemein Die W. gehört - neben der Winkeldreiteilung (Winkel- und Kreisteilung) und der Kreisquadratur - zu den drei klass. Problemen der griech. Mathematik. Gefordert ist: Zu einem gegebenen Würfel mit der Seitenlänge a (also dem Volumen a 3) durch ein geom. Verfahren die Seite x eines anderen Würfels zu finden, dessen Volumen doppelt so groß wie der gegebene Würfel ist. Gesucht ist also die Größe x, für die gilt: x 3 = 2 a 3 (d. h.: x = a 32). Die Aufgabe läuft demnach auf eine Kubikwur…

(Δωσίθεος). [English version] [1] jüd. Apostat Sohn des Drimylos, jüd. Apostat. Soll Ptolemaios IV. Philopator vor der Schlacht bei Raphia (217 v.Chr.) das Leben gerettet haben (3 Makk 1,3). Um 240 v.Chr. einer der beiden Leiter des königlichen Sekretariats, begleitete 225/4 Ptolemaios III. auf einer Reise in Ägypten, hatte um 222 als Priester Alexandros' [4] d.Gr. und der vergöttlichten Ptolemaier das höchste priesterliche Amt im hell. Ägypten inne. PP 1/8,8; 3/9,5100. Schwemer, Anna Maria (Tübingen) Bibliography V. Tcherikover, A. Fuks, Corpus Papyrorum Judaicarum I, …

Folkerts, Menso [English version] A. Einleitung (RWG) Ausgehend von den mathematischen Leistungen der Ägypter und Babylonier hatten die Griechen die M. zu einem deduktiven System umgebaut, das auf einer Theorie des Beweisens beruhte. Anders als für ihre Vorgänger, war für die Griechen die M. eine um ihrer selbst willen betriebene Wiss., die auch ihre Grundlagen untersuchte; praktische Erwägungen und unmittelbar numerische Probleme traten in den Hintergrund. Die Hauptleistungen der Griechen betrafen die…

(Διόδωρος, Διόδορος). Bekannte Namensvertreter: der Philosoph D. [4] Kronos, der Mathematiker D. [8] aus Alexandreia, der Universalhistoriker D. [18] Siculus, der altchristl. Theologe D. [20] von Tarsos. [English version] [1] athen. Flottenbefehlshaber im peloponn. Krieg Athener, Flottenbefehlshaber mit Mantitheos Ende 408/7 v.Chr. am Hellespont mit hinreichend vielen Schiffen, so daß Alkibiades [3] nach Samos und Thrasyllos und Theramenes nach Athen segeln konnten (Diod. 13,68,2). (Traill, PAA 329550; Develin 171). Kinzl, Konrad (Peterborough) [English version] [2] A…

[English version] [1] Praefectus praetorio Orientis 405-414 n. Chr. Wohl 383 n. Chr. Gesandter in Persien, comes sacrarum larg. (Osten) 400; magister officiorum (Osten) spätestens 404, cos. 405; spätestens seit 406 patricius. Maßgeblichen Einfluß auf die Politik erlangte A. als praefectus praetorio Orientis von 405-414, zunächst unter Arcadius, dann unter dem minderjährigen Theodosius II. Er war Christ, stand aber der heidnischen Kultur aufgeschlossen gegenüber [1. 82 f.]. A. kümmerte sich durch den Bau von Mauern um die Verteidigung Ko…

[German version] I Greek (Θεοδόσιος/ Theodósios). [German version] [I 1] Greek mathematician and astronomer, 2nd/1st cent. BC Greek mathematician and astronomer. Folkerts, Menso (Munich) [German version] I. Life and works According to Str. 12,4,9, T. was one of the most important men in Bithynia; the birthplace Tripoli given in the Suda (s. v. Θ.) may relate to another T. As Strabo also names T.’ sons as important mathematicians, T. must belong in the 2nd half of the 2nd cent. BC, or, at the latest, the 1st half of the 1st. …

[German version] (Δεινόστρατος; Deinóstratos) D. is mentioned in Eudemus' list of mathematicians as the brother of Menachmus, who was a pupil of Eudoxus (Procl. in primum Euclidis elementorum librum comm., p. 67,11 Friedlein). He therefore lived in the middle of the 4th cent. BC  Pappus of Alexandria reports (4,30, p. 250,33-252,3 Hultsch) that to square the circle D. used a curve that was accordingly called the quadratrix (τετραγωνίζουσα). This curve, said to have already been used by Hippias of Elis for the trisection…

(Αὐτόλυκος; Autólykos). [German version] [1] Son of Hermes and Chione Son of Hermes and Chione (or Philonis, who also bore the singer  Philammon to Apollo, Hes. fr. 64,14). He was included in various mythical family circles, as the father of  Odysseus' mother Anticlea (Hom. Od. 11,85), of  Jason's mother Polymede (Apollod. 1,107) and of Aesimus, the father of  Sinon. He gives the newborn Odysseus his name, and it is whilst hunting with his sons on Mount Parnassus that Odysseus receives the wound in his th…

[German version] (Θυμαρίδας; Thymarídas). Mathematician from Paros; according to Iamblichus (v. P. 104), T. was an early Pythagorean (Pythagorean School). He defined 'unity' (μονάς/ monás; i.e. the One that generates all the natural numbers) as περαίνουσα ποσότης ( peraínousa posótēs, 'limiting quantity'; Iambl. in Nicomachi arithmeticam introductionem 11,2-5) and called prime numbers εὐθυγραμμικός ( euthygrammikós, 'rectilinear'; ibid.  27,4), because they can only be set out in one dimension. The name 'Flower of T.' (Θυμαρίδειον ἐπάνθημα, Thymarídeion epánthēma) is gi…

(Κάρπος; Kárpos). [German version] [1] Son of Zephyrus and a certain Hore Handsome youth, son of Zephyrus and of a certain Hore ( Horae). He organizes a swimming race with  Calamus, his best friend, but drowns in the event. In mourning, his friend kills himself and is turned into reeds. C. is turned into a crop of the field (Nonnus, Dion. 11,385-481). Frey, Alexandra (Basle) [German version] [2] C. of Antioch Mathematician A mathematician, who lived presumably in the 1st or 2nd cent. AD. Information on him is given in four fragments by Pappus (8,3), Proclus (in Euc…

[German version] I Greek (Θεόδωρος; Theódōros). [German version] [I 1] Of Samos, Greek architect, bronze sculptor and inventor, Archaic period Multitalented Greek inventor, architect, bronze sculptor and metal worker ( toreutḗs; Toreutics) of the Archaic period from Samos (for the occupational image cf. architect). His father was Telecles (Hdt. 3,41; Paus. 8,14,8; 10,38,6) or according to other sources (Diog. Laert. 2,103; Diod. Sic. 1,98) Rhoecus [3]; his name is so frequently mentioned in conjunction with the latter that …

(Πτολεμαῖος/ Ptolemaîos). Personal name meaning 'warlike' (not 'hostile'), first recorded in Hom. Il. 4,228; the name occurred in Macedonia in the 5th and 4th cents. BC, from where it spread to Thessaly, still in the 4th cent. (IG IX 2, 598). It became prominent with the Lagid dynasty, and became common, not only in Egypt, where it may at first have indicated solidarity with the dynasty, but also elsewhere. It underwent many deformations and transmutations. Ptolemies Famous persons: P. [1] I Soter, P. [6] III Euergetes; P. [22], the son of Caesar; the scientist Claudius P. [65]. Ameling, Wa…

[German version] (Ὑψικλῆς; Hypsiklês). Hellenistic mathematician and astronomer. From the introduction to book 14 of Euclid's ‘Elements’ written by him, it follows that H. lived in Alexandria around 175 BC. It is attested by MSS that he composed what later was added as book 14 to the ‘Elements’ of  Euclides [3] (ed. [1]). Like bk. 13 it deals with the inscribing of regular bodies into a sphere and was thought of as an explanation to a lost work of  Apollonius [13] about dodecahedra and icosahedra. H. shows that the planes th…

[1] of Syracuse C. 287-232 BC [German version] A. Life A. was born in 287 BC in Syracuse, son of the astronomer Phidias. He was friends with King Hieron II, and later with his son Gelon. A. probably spent some time in Alexandria; he later sent on his writings to the mathematicians (Conon, Dositheus, Eratosthenes) who were working there. In Syracuse, A. studied problems of mathematical and physical theory, but also their practical applications; the machines and physical apparatus which he built (e.g. the s…

(Εὐκλείδης; Eukleídēs). [German version] [1] Athenian archon in 403/2 BC Athenian archon in 403/2 BC. During his year in office Athens made a new start following the Oligarchy of the Thirty (e.g., see And. 1,87-94) and, among others, officially adopted the Ionian alphabet (Theopomp. FGrH 115 F 155). Rhodes, Peter J. (Durham) Bibliography Develin 199 LGPN 2, Εὐκλείδης (9). [German version] [2] of Megara Student of Socrates Student of Socrates, founder of the  Megarian School; born between 450 and 435, probably died early in the 360s. In Plato's Phaedon (59c) E. is named among those …

(Πάππος Ἀλεξανδρεύς; Páppos Alexandreús). [German version] I. Life Eminent Greek mathematician. Based on his calculation of a partial solar eclipse for the year AD 320, it is assumed that P. lived in the first half of the 4th cent. (on this and on erroneous dating in the Suda see [2. 2-4]). Folkerts, Menso (Munich) [German version] II. Works The most important surviving work is the Συναγωγή/ Synagōgḗ, customarily cited as the Collectio (ed. [1], French translation [3], edition and English translation of book 7 [2]). Of the 8 books, the first is wholly lost, the se…

(κύβου διπλασιασμός/ kýbou diplasiasmós according to Eratosthenes, in [1. 88,16]). [German version] I. General The duplication of the cube ─ besides the  division of angles and circles and the  squaring of the circle ─ belongs to the three classic problems in Greek  mathematics. The challenge is such: to find ─ through the use of geometry ─ for a given cube with a side-length of a (and thus the volume of a 3) the side x of another cube whose volume is twice as big as that of the given cube. The problem is therefore to find the value of x, to which applies: x 3 = 2 a 3 (that is: x = a 32). The problem thus…

(Ζηνόδωρος/ Zēnódōros). [German version] [1] Greek mathematician, probably at the beginning of the 2nd cent. BC Greek mathematician, probably at the beginning of the 2nd cent. BC [5; 6. 604 f.]. He wrote a work 'Isoperimetric figures' (Περὶ ἰσοπεριμέτρων σχημάτων, Perì isoperimétrōn schēmátōn) in which he proved that of all figures of the same circumference the circle has the greatest area, and formulated the proposition that of all bodies of the same surface area the sphere has the greatest volume [3; 4; 7]. Substantial parts of the …

[English version] The writings of the Roman surveyors ( agrimensores) deal with their various areas of activity: measurement of areas; limitation, i.e. division by orthogonal boundaries; creation of land registers and general parceling maps; functioning as a judges or experts in land law, particularly in boundary disputes; collaboration in religious ceremonies; units of length and area, weights and determining area and volume. Mathematical questions are dealt with most notably by Balbus' work Expositio et ratio omnium formarum (ca . AD 100), the anonymous Liber podismi and a wo…